Obidiah attracts some attention with his entrance and more than a few of the passersby give him a cheer! However soon you will be starting to get late for your appointment.
Obidiah grins widely, bowing to his adoring crowd of onlookers. "Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week. Don't forget to tip your bar wench! Try the veal!" The sailor doesn't even begin to notice the strange looks he gets at the mention of veal.
He then turns to Sandman. "Oh yes! I absolutely do have knowledge in that area! That's m'specialty, really. But, um...we're gonna have to find another way, 'cause the barrel won't fit...all three of us." The sailor seems to realize there's not a tactful way to say that the size of the barrel, plus the size of himself, and his two (really 3) companions, does not equal a possible ride, even for a crazy man.
He begins to pace the small bit of the dock, stroking his chin.
After a couple of moments, he stops and licks his finger, raising it to the wind, looking, listening, and then he points in a seemingly random direction. "Our crew will be in this direction!" And off Obidiah heads, knowing that the others will follow.
Morgan notices his errant mannikin's attempt at graffiti, scoops the little tikiman up and reattaches him around his neck, making a sideways look at Obadiah, finger in the air pacing the dock.
Morgan smiles a big Tulita grin to Obadiah.
"Lead the way Master Read!"
Silas heads after Obadiah, almost apologising to Beth as he does. "Just a minute."
He clambers up off the docks and heads to the Tulita. Almost shouting, he stops himself until he gets closer. "Honoured Tulita, I was wondering if you knew anything about a black shark? There appears to have been an increase in shark attacks in the last few months and the wisened old sailor suggested the Tulita may know more that could help."
(These are all class skills for Morgan BTW)
Knowledge (Nature)
Knowledge (Local)
Knowledge (History)
Knowledge (Religion)
Knowledge (Geography)
"Falken Drango, a feared pirate of the Razor Coast, went mad and murdered his own crew." murmurs a spectator in the crowd.
Morgan visibly pales at the mention of black sharks, his hand reaching for his neck and clutching his shark tooth necklace where the tikiman amulet sits frozen. Morgan looks to Sandman briefly for support, obviously stricken by Silas' words. He turns back to Silas, his face serious and drawn.
"It means death and destruction Silas. The Tulita have not seen the black sharks for many generations - it is a terrible omen that they are sighted once more - they herald the coming of the dark shark-god. More than that I cannot tell you."
"When they nabbed that McFarrows fellow, blood stained his mouth like a big ‘o’ and he kept calling for his wife, Jessica."exclaims a man to his friends.
Uneasy about all this black shark talk, Beth hops down from her perch. Sticking two fingers in her mouth, she whistles sharply.
"Oy, it's time to go. The storm doesn't wait for the laggard."
"Welcome sister and welcome gentlemen and lady. How can the Chapter House of Quell be of service to you?"
Young Zalen has grown into the handsome, spitting image of his father. His golden-flecked blue eyes highlight long yellow locks of hair. On him, the aqua and deep blue robes of Quell drape the perfect body of a young hero in the making. His skin is sun-kissed, his teeth flash ivory.
Silas nods solemnly to Morgan. "I believe something may be back. Could we talk later?"
He follows Beth into the Chapter house. "You mentioned about your predecessor having disappeared. "
"Thank you, brother.", replies Beth warmly.
Beth nods at Silas question, her voice sounding more serious and concerned.
"That's actually one of the points. Do you think he left willingly or do you fear he was kidnapped or killed? If so did you try to locate him through his holy symbol? Mine is wooden and if yours and his are sufficiently different, we could give it a try."
"But I have more concerns about what is going on in here. Dragonbane, black sharks, disappeared priest... has this always been so bad?"
"Please accompany me into the rectory.
After entering the rectory, he draws the curtain closed and casts detect good on the PCs. He will ask those that he cannot detect to please wait out side while he speaks with the others.
Beth follows the cleric and paces the room while listening to his tale.
"But at least someone should know what he was doing just before disappearing? Who he was going to see or who did he last spoke to? Did you ask the helpers of the temple?"
As he considers you trustworthy, he will allow you to search Noeliss's personal quarters which are in perfect order.
"Ooh! A secret society! I love those. You know, I used to belong to the Order of the Dodo, but they kicked me out. Something about eating the mascot was a horrible sin. But in my defense, they did say it was quite tasty before they realized. Think this society could have eaten him?" Obadiah seems quite impressed with his brilliance in deductive reasoning.
I guess Morgan realised Obi wasn't leading him to a boat so he's looking for one himself. No idea where Sandman is.
Knowledge (local):
Morgan heads off to find Captain Riggs and his boat, keeping a sharp eye out for Dragoons along the way.
Perception
Silas follows the group into the curtained area.
Good:
Walking into the quarters of the late Priest, Beth prays Quell a few moment, asking him for his help in finding his priest.
Then, she carefully searches the place looking for informations about Noeliss last activities.
You notice that one of the statues, shaped in the likeness of a miniature kraken, has a removable piece covering a hollow compartment. This compartment contains Archibald’s notes on the Krakenfiend and some items he planned to use for an expedition beneath the ocean to investigate Harthagoa.
Two vials and a scroll detect as magical. Archibald’s notes concerning the Krakenfiend. The notes convey his general deductions that it is some sort of fiendish kraken offspring, that it likely has powers and immunities common to outsiders—particularly demons—and that it may have been spawned on a shekraken by the demon lord, Demogorgon. Also of interest: the notes mention the Ring of The Kraken, a secret society
apparently active in Port Shaw that Noeliss speculated might serve the Krakenfiend, Harthagoa
.
In the Rectory
sinister business. Strangely, no rumors connect them to dragonsmoke dealing.
Morgan, someone will eventually direct you to the harbor master's office so you can locate The Sealord's Blessing.
Mallory's impressed by Silas's playing, but manages to keep up pretty decently. Seeing Fin rush around makes her grin, too, knowing how happy he must be to be busy.
She smiles at Beth's praise, knowing that Silas is the superior player but appreciating it all the same. Her ears perk up at the mention of the wave riders, but she stays silent. 'That group gets curiouser and curiouser.' she thinks, tossing back a shot.
Silas's invitation to her is well meant, she's sure, but the idea of going to a chapter house with some strangers rubs her the wrong way. They seem to be in the middle of something. 'Don't get involved' she reminds herself, and tosses him a wink, saying she'll "Be seein' ya."
The group departs as lunch wears down, and she sits down a spell to have another few drinks. Though pretending to be dozing off, she's listening to the interaction that the Major is having with some Tulita, who wasn't born of the Tulita . Most of what the Major answers, Mallory had already known, but something about the Tulita's way of questioning perks her interest. It wasn't often that one took an interest in the Major, and fewer offered to him help.
She follows him outside the tavern, tossing a mischievous grin to Fin on the way out. Watching him toss a coin to another Tulita and speak their language flawlessly, without even an accent, her eyes narrow. 'Not something one sees every day.' she thinks. Ducking behind a crowd when the other pirate appears, she notes that she had seen him inside, too, that these people all appear familiar with each other. She wonders what their game is.
As the group heads off, presumably for the Chapter House, she notes that the Tulita-not-born-of-Tulia is left behind and appears to be studying boats. As she approaches him she keeps telling herself, 'Don't get involved.' but keeps walking forwards anyway. As he stops to look at a ship, she darts up next to him, casting a sidelong glance his way. "Lookin' for a ship?" She asks, turning her eyes to the one in front of them. "Ain't this one ye want. See how the mast is warped? Like to sink any day now."
Zalen casts detect magic himself:
"Chapterhouses of Quell along the Razor are gutted and gone. Empty. No one knows what attacked them, but something did."
Beth, you and Zalen are now it as far as priests of Quell on the Razor. The rest are dead or gone missing. Zalen buried the last this morning. Allies are getting rather thin.
Morgan asseses the woman in front of him briefly before realising it is the same women he noticed haunting the dock so forlornly before. He takes a look at the ship she indicates, and notices the warp in the mast. Time was when he would have crewed a boat such as this and stood athwart the bowsprit, naked to the waist, harpoon in hand. He turns back to Mallory and performs the simple customary Tulita greeting with his head and hand before answering her in his impeccable colonial.
"Well met Mistress! I am Hoeroa. I must confess your sharp eye is superior to mine. Would that I could find Captain Riggs - apparently he looks for crew!? If you could direct me his way I would be in your debt."
One way or another you meet with Captain Colthyn Riggs.
"I need protect from buccaneers and sea beasts on the Razor and am willing to offer free passage, board and nominal pay at journey's end in return for providing security on the ship. We leave at first tide in three days hence."
Silas mulls over the information. "I don't want to seem alarmist, but if that is the case then I suspect someone is gunning for the Church of Quell. It becomes all the more important to protect the pair of you."
He stops, breathing slowly, closing his eyes. "I'll admit I'm conflicted. I'm not someone who steps up. My whole life is about not getting noticed unless I want to be. This seems to be very much about getting noticed by someone who means the church harm."
Obi seems to be in his own world, thinking they've either joined the Order of the Dodo or gotten eaten by them.
No luck with picking up rumors, but you do figure it is going to take more than the 4 or you to turn things around in Port Shaw and the Razor.
Morgan accepts the job with Riggs. He attempts to scope the Captain's trustworthiness:
Perception:
Sense Motive:
"This does not look good, indeed. I think the Church is targeted because we could interfere with their plans because of the influence we could have with the people. And that it is something I have no intention of letting pass."
Tilting her head at Zalen, she adds. "I know that you have duties at the Chapter House and you need to be seen to represent the Church and keep the faith. But I will try to follow Noeliss steps and find out who this organization is and what they intend to do."
"For that, my new-found friends, I will need allies and help.", she pleads. "and even if you agree to look into that with me, we will need more allies. Preferably not from here so that they are not already corrupted."
Silas stays silent for a moment, his eyes still closed. He breathes slowly, his brow furrowed a little. Turning to look towards Beth, he expels a clear breath before opening his eyes. "If we can convince them those Tulita certainly look like they are not connected to here. They seem to want to have little to do with the church though."